Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of my all-time favorite theologians. If you’re not all into religion, though, he’s still one of the best writers on theological subjects and life in general. It turns out that he had something profound to say about being judgmental too… Read more…
1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)
You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Remember when you were a young child in school, you wanted to be accepted by your peer group so you may have been willing to do almost anything to be a part of the in-group. Or maybe you remember trying out for the football team as a teenager and you felt bad when the picks got down to the last two and you still weren’t chosen. Read more…
Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
Give us today the food we need.
God can see the end from the beginning, but He gives us just enough light, strength, grace, and provisions for this day. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month. Not next year. Not a decade from now. He wants us to trust Him for today. And then keep on trusting Him every day. Trust is not a one and done process; it is an active process that continues on and on in order for it to produce effective results in our lives. Read more…
Psalm 116:7 (NLT)
Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.
When we talk and think about taking care of our physical bodies, we usually refer to exercise, dieting, good nutrition, regular check-ups at the doctor’s office, proper nutrition, and regular sleep. Without proper functioning in our physical bodies, it is unlikely that we will survive or thrive very long. All of these are good things to consider in order to grow and be physically strong and stable in our lives. Read more…
1 Chronicles 16:34 (NLT)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
With Thanksgiving behind us, it is easy to think less and less about the many things we have to be thankful for. The holiday of Thanksgiving peaks our interest because it is a day set aside especially and specifically for that reason. But when the day is over, the thanks should still be there even as many people rush stores and wait in long lines to gather up more stuff hours after they just through being thankful for what they already have. Read more…
Deuteronomy 7:17-18 (NLT)
Perhaps you will think to yourselves, ‘How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?’ But don’t be afraid of them! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt.
The children of Israel were in a frightening position. They feared the external forces around them and even the internal forces within them. They were on this long journey, about to enter the land of promise that God had already told them was theirs for the taking. But the people who lived in the land were unsympathetic and unfriendly to the newcomers. Read more…
Psalm 145:9 (NLT)
The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.
You know how some people tend to use a lot of salt on their food or sugar in their coffee — yours truly being one of them — we don’t sprinkle it on; we pour it on. God’s goodness is very much like that. He doesn’t just sprinkle his grace and mercy and love into our lives; he pours it on. In fact, he not only pours, he showers. Read more…
Romans 8:28 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
We fear. We fear for our safety, for our families, for our friends. We fear the past, we fear the present, we fear what might-could-or-should happen. We fear for our job security, for our world, and even for our future. At every little instance, act, or word, there is an element of fear to be considered and experienced. Read more…
Everyday Thanks